J. Lee Roberts's Blog

We may not have had a lot of money growing up but we made up for it in creativity. When all the neighborhood kids were wearing, cheap ( yet for some reason expensive) plastic, store-bought costumes we were decked out in elaborate hand crafted outfits. It was the one day out of the year that I looked better dressed than everyone else and for that reason ( and many others ) I give a huge shout out to my wonderful, amazing mother. Every Halloween, we ( I have two sisters ) would beg my mother to buy us the latest store bought costumes, thankfully she always refused. I suppose the peer pressure, placed upon us, by the multitude of commercials which bombarded us every holiday had something to do with it. Back when I was a kid the costumes sold in the stores were always the same. A cheap, hard-plastic mask accompanied by a plastic smock depicting the most popular superhero of the time. These mass produced costumes were ill fitting and horribly crafted but still, for some reason, I always wanted one. Both my mother and grandmother were skilled seamstresses, a talent that did not pass down to me. When one of us girls would beg to be the latest plastic-printed craze, they would pull out the Halloween box and search through the huge collection of strange and interesting garments it held and if none were to be found they would simply sew a costume for us. I remember one year they made the best Pebbles Flintstone outfit. It was comprised of white faux fuzzy shorts and a green velvet top. The costume was accessorized with a huge bone for our hair and a plastic, shark tooth necklace. I say our because these amazing creations were always carefully saved and passed down. As I got older, I knew how special our families costumes were as did the neighbors and it soon became the tradition to rally at our home for pre-Halloween preparations. Along with saving our tailored costumes we would save anything funky or spooky looking or anything that had the potential of becoming the next great idea in “ the box”. I still hold this tradition and have a difficult time discarding anything that, with a bit of imagination, could become the next greatest craze. So the next time you or one of your children want a store bought costume, I suggest you check out the local thrift store or even your closet first. You might just find the perfect idea.

Seven Alien Artifacts that may or may not be what you're looking for. The odds that we are alone in the universe, have always been against us. Just look up at the night sky if you don't believe me. Or perhaps take a look at these images of "supposed" alien artifacts. They may just make a believer out of you yet.Tooled Aluminum dating back 300 Million YearsPrimitive Plug over 100,000 years oldIncan Aeroplanes The Lizard FigurinesSummer's Triumph TapestryThe Glorification of the EucharistSri Lanka Meteorite

There are some seriously interesting stories about why the number 13, despite the day or month, is unlucky. For those who suffer from Triskaidekaphobia, today is probably a good day to call in sick and just watch some funny movies. For the rest of us, let's dive a bit deeper into the reasons why 13 is considered an unlucky number at all. My favorite is the mathematical reasoning. To no fault of its own 13 falls directly after the oh so perfect number 12. 12 months, 12 zodiac signs, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 apostles. Not only that but it’s divisible by everything, unlike the unlucky 13. Some people will never see past perfection. Another great excuse for the fear, and why it is unlucky to host more than 12, is that two rather notorious bad guys were said to be the 13th guest for dinner. Loki and Judas. Different dinner parties of course, or were they? For yet another example, Philip IV reportedly had hundreds of Knights Templar arrested and even murdered in a coordinated, sweeping blow on Friday, October 13, 1307. I on the other hand have always found 13 to be a great number. I love that it’s not divisible by anything ( sorry 12 ) I like that is has this peculiar ambiance surrounding it, plus for some odd reason I think it looks pretty when written down? I also fell in love with my husband on Friday the 13th October 2000 which just so happened o be the last Full Harvest Moon to fall on such a spooky date.. We have had an amazing relationship ever since and it is a day I will never forget. So thanks 13. Thanks for keeping it real even from under the shadow of perfection.

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I have been told that I " have an excuse for everything." I tend to agree but only because I feel I need to explain myself. Oops there I go again. Do you see how easy that is. For instance, the reason I'm writing this blog now, is so I can explain to my Newsletter subscribers why this weeks email hasn't been sent out. Now, I could tell you the true version which isn't sexy, exciting or even interesting, or I could pull from my bookshelf of titillating excuses ( in this case lies) and share something juicy. Let's see. OK so, Yesterday was the solstice and I was up all night conjuring earthly magic in order to save the universe so I didn't have time to publish the Newsletter. Or how about, We drove down a seriously crazy road to the beach and the truck got stuck so I couldn't get to a computer in time. ( I could even add a story about receiving help from a hansom and mysterious traveler) Not your cup of tea? A freak tsunami hit the island knocking out the power and internet. ( maybe a little to close to a sad reality)Why not just go over the moon. So I'm super sorry about forgetting this weeks Newsletter but as I was sleeping I was awaken by bright lights flashing in the night sky. I went out onto the lanai to investigate and was instantly suspended within a tracker beam. I was lifted up into a massive disc shaped spaceship and taken up to the Mother ship which was concealed among the debris ring of Saturn. I found myself among a large group of Earthlings and aliens from all reaches of the Universe. We all stood frightened and confused until the most beautiful, rhythmic music streamed out, filling the room and our souls. Unable to contain ourselves, we danced and drank of the elixir that was passed from time to time. This continued for an unimaginably long time until eventually I woke up in my bed with an unearthly hangover, to tired and grumpy to even attempt to publish the Newsletter. Now after an excuse like that, who would want to here that the real reason I couldn't send it out because I'm too cheap to pay for an upgrade? Sometimes fiction is better that fact as long as no one gets hurt.

OK, so I purposefully misspelled the word "grammar". However If you receive my Newsletters or read anything I write without the aid of a professional editor you will undoubtedly see that I can barely spell let alone converse with duly appointed commas, hyphens and semi colons. In the Newsletter, I just sent out, I just noticed ( about two minutes too late) I wrote your instead of you're. I do it all the time and I know it drives many grammar police insane. ( you know who you are ). I apologize to those who it may offend, please just be happy that our technology includes spell check otherwise nothing I delivered would be legible. I have never officially been diagnosed with dyslexia. However, it runs in my family and I know that I tend to write numbers backwards and have trouble seeing my own mistakes. In school Math was my true nemesis. I knew the formulas forward and back ( or was it backward and forward?) regardless, I could never pass a test. I always tended to switch a number in the problem eliciting an incorrect answer. I actually tutored other students in algebra, passed chemistry and obtain high scores in upper level science courses, having never passed a pre-algebra class myself. In my collage English course ( a class I always exceeded at ) my professor told me I had a reading comprehension problem and suggested more than once my work was plagiarized ( a phenomena more than one teacher accused me of ) then proceeded to give me an A.?I considered publishing this blog with out using the spell check feature, but all the red lines were a tad disconcerting. So again I apologize to those whom I drive mad with my ridiculously, horrible, grammatical errors and I offer you a solution. Help me. Till then, I'll keep my Dictionary handy and the Thesaurus open.All my Love & GratitudeJ. Lee Roberts

I have never been good at taking compliments. It's more of a question of how than why. Do you say "Thank you"? OK, so yes that's what you are suppose to do but who does that every time? I always feel so awkward or even superficial when I receive praise. Saying "thanks " when someone mentions they like my shirt or my hair that day, makes me feel like "oh ya, I know. That's why I wore it today." Instead I generally try to explain that I found it for dirt cheep at a thrift store and I don't even deserve to own such a wonderful garment, or avoid their compliment entirely and simply give one back. In retrospect I probably should have just said "thank you." Which, brings me to a recent compliment I received the other day when I actually responded appropriately. A dear friend was visiting a few weeks ago and we were getting ready for a camping trip (to be fair, I've been going camping all my life) I had everything prepared; bedding, dishes, food, and gear for 5. I was telling my friend how I like to prep all the food at home so I'm not doing it on the beach, that's when she told me I was, "so good at life." In honesty this is the second time she had given me this wonderful adulation. The first time was during a similar situation and it moved me just as much then as it did recently. I think the reason I loved her compliment so much is because I feel the same way about myself. I know it's a bit braggadocios (love that word by the way) but I have always felt that life comes easy for me. Its hard to admit it when I see so much suffering everyday but it's my truth. I have so many friends that struggle just to get up and going and out of the house on a daily basis. It makes me feel truly blessed to know that the universe is on my side. If I knew the secret to my success I promise I would tell. Perhaps it's because I have low blood pressure and the world just beats a bit slower for me, giving me a little extra time to get things rolling. I've always thought it was because I have low standards. My life it not perfect by any means but I give thanks every day for what I have. My parents taught me to be self sufficient and practical and I believe that has had a huge impact on how I experience life. So, my point is- "Thank you. Thank you for seeing in me, what I have always believed to be true." Keep on giving out those compliments, no thanks needed.

Writing in a relationship As I sit at my desk composing this essay, I find myself distracted by the swaying palm fronds out my window and the chirping of birds calling me out to play in the yard. The trees need water the weeds need pulling yet here I sit talking with you. However tempting the outside world is to me, nature is not my usual distraction. In fact, I do the vast majority of my writing from the warm, cozy confides of my bed. The curtains are drawn, the door is shut tight and every pillow on the bed has got me propped up into position. It's just me, my pen, and my 5 subject notebook. I furiously write as the thoughts and phrases race into my head. The words come so fast I can barley get them onto the paper. The perfect line has just popped into my head, when.... My amazing and supportive husband opens the door, "I brought you some coffee, love." My eyes flash red, snakes lurch and hiss from within my tangle of hair. COFFEE ??? COFFEE !!! I'm livid. How? Why? Does he not know that even the slightest distraction can make me lose an entire page, or thought, or plot line? His only thoughts are for my well being. Food, sunlight, coffee... The nerve of our loved ones. Do they not know that during a writing session life stops. Nourishment is an after thought to art. I smooth down the serpents and calm down my dog, who has picked up on my energy. "Thank you." I say, as kindly as I can through gritted teeth. My husband shrinks away, averting his eyes least he be turned to stone and shuts the door on my inappropriate response to his kindness. Don't get me wrong I want to keep my husband. I want him to continue to be kind and generous. I just don't want it when I'm writing. It's hard to balance sanity and writing, or courtesy and writing, or anything else and writing, but I'm working on it. J. Lee Roberts@catalinasdencatalinasden@gmail.comSubscribe here

Is the word desperate too much for what I'm feeling? Perhaps. However, I am looking for willing souls to write reviews for me. Your opinion helps me become a better writer. It helps me tailor my stories to those who read them. The good the bad and the ugly are welcome. Reviews are not only a way for me to promote my books but they are a great tool for readers. Many of us want to know what we are getting into before we open the cover. Personally I enjoy reading book critiques. Sometimes I agree with them and sometimes not. In fact rotten review can actually challenge me to read a book if only to prove it wrong. So please, pretty please with sugar on top, reach out to me and write a review. I offer FREE digital copies to anyone willing to tell me what they think.In fact starting today I am adding a new segment to my blog RAW REVIEWS by J. Lee Roberts. So to all authors out there send me your mobi.. docs and I will try to get to as many of them as possible. And to all of you amazing patrons keep an eye out for my next RAW REVIEW